SD22 SOGI EDUCATION

Our School District Community

We respectfully acknowledge that we are located on ancestral syilx territory in south-central British Columbia. School District 

22 serves the communities of Vernon, Coldstream, Lavington, Lumby, and Cherryville, providing excellent educational services to a diverse group of students. 

What is SOGI?

SOGI, the acronym for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, is a term used for two key parts of a person's identity. SOGI applies to us all. We all have a sexual orientation and gender identity. SOGI resources and supports in schools acknowledge the right for students to be who they are in the ways that they show up in the world.

Childhood and adolescence are times of rapid development. As children come to understand themselves and others, they can begin to explore their social environments and navigate a complex world of peer relationships. This sometimes involves conflict that students do not have the skills to maneuver and that can thereby deteriorate into name-calling, exclusion, or even bullying.  If left unaddressed, prejudices and biased attitudes may be left to grow. Educators and other adults can be important role models of how to steer through the social landscape more carefully by recognizing, encouraging, and valuing the diversity of others to ensure that all students are safe and have equitable access to quality education. 

Safe and Caring Schools

SOGI-inclusive education is a road map for a diverse landscape. The term "SOGI" has been adopted to identify two areas of discrimination that are prohibited within the Human Rights Code: "Discrimination based on sexual orientation" and "Discrimination based on gender identity or expression." In 2016, Education Minister, Mike Bernier, required all British Columbia school districts and independent schools to bring their anti-bullying policies into alignment with the Human Rights Code by adding explicit protections for LGBTQ+ students.  Board Policy 341: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity values the diversity found within school communities and ensures safe, welcoming, inclusive and affirming environments. In addition,  Policy No.220: District Code of Conduct requires all members of the district community (including students, staff, parent/caregivers, invited guests and visitors) to “show respect for the diversity of the members of school and district communities.” Further, it ensures that all members of the school district community refrain from discriminatory conduct “on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or age of that person or that group or class of persons.”

SOGI is not a curriculum. Educators work to embed and demonstrate value for diversity among people of all genders, with any sexual orientation or family structure. This includes, but is not limited to, class content that includes perspectives, images, and experiences of people belonging to various social groups. SD22 believes in the right of all students to see themselves represented positively in what and how they learn. 

SOGI ensures that students are able to see themselves in the school community, lessons and teaching materials.  If we always use examples of white families with a mom and a dad and 2.4 kids, only a portion of our community will see themselves.  This applies to gender roles as well.  If the Firefighter is always a man, young girls will be less inspired to dream of being a Firefighter. Conversely, if nurses are always depicted as females, the nursing profession will unjustly carry a stigma toward anyone who does not fit that stereotype. It is important to include examples of folks who fall all along the inclusion spectrum. No one would question the importance of including different cultures and abilities in the public school resources. It is just as pertinent for all members of our school community to see themselves reflected in their learning community. 

SOGI 123

SOGI 123 resources were developed by a network of stakeholders in education created by the ARC Foundation and in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, BC Teachers' Federation, UBC Faculty of Education, BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils and school districts across BC.  Presently, all 60 BC school districts have joined the educators' network which "helps educators make schools inclusive and safe for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities (SOGI)." SOGI-inclusive education sees that "students' biological sex does not limit their interests and opportunities, and their sexual orientation and how they understand and express their gender are welcomed without discrimination" (sogieducation.org). In this district, students are taught that the similarities among students are more important than any differences. 

SOGI - A Legal Perspective

Lawyers Against Transphobia are a dedicated coalition of over 50 lawyers, teachers, parents, and justice workers primarily based in British Columbia, with members from across Canada. They work to address and combat transphobia by advocating for the rights and dignity of transgender individuals within the legal profession, courts, and media.

 View The Handbook – Expelling Transphobia (Lawyers Against Transphobia)

What if SOGI doesn't align with my family's values?
Can I remove my child from SOGI education?

Individual families will always have a range of opinions on many topics, and it is expected that parents/guardians may have some apprehension about aspects of the school system that may not align with their family’s values. That said, it is the role of public schools to uphold the Human Rights-inspired values of inclusion, dignity, and respect for all persons.

There is a misunderstanding that SOGI is a curriculum and is being explicitly taught as a subject. Sexual orientation and gender identity are topics that may arise during or be otherwise interwoven through several curriculum areas, school activities, or may arise in conversations about students’ daily lives. It is not possible to inform parents/guardians every time SOGI-related conversations become part of what students are curious and ask questions about. SOGI is simply ensuring that all people who are protected under the Human Rights Act of BC are included in all aspects of education - whether that is through verbal conversations, discussions, or resources. Professional educators facilitate children's curiosity in a respectful and professional manner that maintains dignity and honors differences. 

The Provincial Government has allowed for some flexibility in the delivery of certain ‘sensitive areas’ of the curriculum, specifically topics related to reproduction that some students and their parents/guardians may feel more comfortable addressing by means other than instruction by a teacher or other professional in a regular classroom setting.  These topics refer specifically to the reproduction curriculum. Read the Policy here.